Seven Cool Lessons from Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Coolest Man Who Ever Lived

Throughout his life, Ralph Waldo Emerson established himself as one of the most influential man of letters in America. He was a philosopher, essayist, poet, and lecturer. His most significant contribution to American letters stemmed from his tremendous influence to other thinkers and writers. Best remembered for leading the philosophical, literary, and social movement called Transcendentalism, Emerson influenced other writers by saturating his writing with the ideals of spiritual harmony in contrast to the dominance of material gain. He called for a national literature and has so influenced the likes of David Thoreau and Margaret Fuller and even influenced the brains of non-adherents such as Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville.

Seven Crazy-Cool Lessons from Emerson

What made Emerson the coolest person that has ever lived is his insistence that humans must live in the present, and have to trust their own impulses. This has helped other American writers to forge their identities during the time when American confidence was at the lowest because of European domination.

•  He tells us to be thankful for our faults.

Don’t you think it’s quite ironic to be thankful for your faults, do you? That’s among the many reasons why Emerson was so damn cool! Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Every man in his lifetime needs to thank his faults.” He tells us to fall down on our knees and give thanks for our faults because the mistakes that we made brought us to where we are today. Your faults trained you, taught you, and prepared you to be a better person. Therefore, you should be thankful for all the mistakes that you have made because those faults deliberately positioned you for success.

•  He teaches us that it is o.k. to be amateur.

Emerson wrote, “Every artist was first and foremost, an amateur.” It’s a cool way of telling us that even the greatest artists in the world started as amateurs. They become masters because of their strong desire, patience, perseverance, and hard work. Do not loathe or grieved because you are an amateur. It is kind of like butterflies. They were never afraid to go through many dark days. They persevered and never gave up. Little by little, inch by inch, they silently worked their way until they emerged victoriously out of their chrysalis to become magnificent butterflies.

• He tells us that we are in charge of our destiny.

Cool Emerson tells us “Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger that any material force—that their thoughts can rule the world.” Ralph Waldo Emerson is essentially telling that you can rule the world and become king! Your thoughts can become things. It is a matter of controlling your thoughts and harnessing its power to alter the path of our destiny. What you become is the manifestation of how well you have mastered your thoughts.

•  He tells us that we can get rich.

“Every man is a consumer, and ought to be a producer. By constitution man is expensive therefore, he needs to be rich.” That is awesomely cool, don’t you think? Emerson is telling us that we can be rich because that is our very nature. Our nature tells us to be creators and to be producers. In exchange for our creation, we receive value and that value is the foundation of your wealth. Perhaps, you need to ponder more about this cool idea shared by Emerson. This idea might hold the key to your wealth.

• He teaches us to be optimistic.

Emerson is telling you “To write on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.” Emerson’s very cool optimism reminds us to enjoy every day of our lives. We must be in complete harmony with the idea that each day is the best day of our lives. Therefore, we need to face our day with much optimism.

• He encourages us to utilize our time wisely.

To quote Emerson, “For every minute you are angry you also lose sixty seconds of happiness.” This is a simple reminder that we must strive to make every second count. Every second of our time is an opportunity to see the beauty around us. Therefore, we need to choose wisely how we spend our time. Instead of devoting your time to trivial things such as being angry, you have to make use of that time to be happy and to celebrate the beauty of life.

•  He tells us not to take life too seriously.

“Be silly. Be honest. Be kind.” So wrote Emerson. If that is not cool, then what is? This very idea is probably the biggest reason why Ralph Waldo Emerson was so goddamn cool. He is telling us to just be cool and not take life too seriously. We need to get lost and explore the world and do silly things. We need to enjoy life. Yet, amid the fun, we need to keep in mind to be truthful and be mindful of others. That is precisely how we should live our lives—to be cool just like Emerson.          

Ralph Waldo Emerson has brought a breath of spirituality to the new national literature of America and of the world. In his writings, he lays emphasis on harmony derived from within—a harmony within the very essence of the human being. These very reasons made Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the coolest human beings who ever lived.